So true, Patrick Pichette, but I think it’s even more than that. The Old Spice YouTube Tweetathon altered the social media landscape in one day.

1. Corporate Libertarianism

Kudos to Procter & Gamble for trusting its team to attempt this epic experiment with little to no supervision. ReadWriteWeb wrote a great post about how the videos are being made. The company has entrusted a team of social media guys, marketers, scriptwriters, creative and tech support to create 87 short videos in 11 hours…7 minutes per video. This leaves VERY little time for an approval process. Social media is about real time, and Procter & Gamble gets it.

Side note: It’s incredible that all of these people could work together so efficiently and effectively. Walls between departments are falling fast, and lines are being blurred. To create a successful social media campaign, you need the skills of creative, PR, marketing, copywriters, tech and social media professionals to get the job done. I for one am psyched about this collaborative philosophy.

2.  “What’s Next?” Has Been Answered…for Now

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, foursquare…these applications have established themselves as the giants. For the past six months, it seems that everyone has been regifting these concepts. Social media began to blend into the humdrum of everyday marketing until July 15. The Old Spice campaign took what was available and reinvented how these applications could be used together. What’s next? Looking at what’s available and pushing the limits of its capabilities. This will dictate future applications.

3. Human Nature Explored

Social media has made the idea of “15 minutes of fame” possible…except now it’s 15 seconds of fame. It has made the distance between celebrity and civilian shorter. Old Spice capitalized on both of these concepts. Social media users were invited to ask questions directed toward the “Old Spice Guy” – Isaiah Mustafa. The responses were tracked, and the most interesting or highest-profile inquiries were addressed via personalized video, doing the following:

• Feeding consumers’ egos by utilizing their creativity/ideas to drive the topics of the videos
• Giving consumers their 15 seconds of fame through personalized video
• Bridging the gap between the brand and the customer
• Closing the distance between celebrity vs. civilian by streaming videos for Alyssa Milano and Jonathan on Facebook as equals

Brands are going to need to refocus their attention from defining who “they” are to defining who the customer is and how to create a personal, engaging and lasting relationship. We are a self-centered, ego-driven, short-attention-span society, and now that we know what is possible, expectations are going to change.

Update: The Old Spice personalized videos have amassed more than 5.2 million views! That is more than some (many) television programs.

Pepsi goes after those looking for a clear and pure cola alternative...as well as those looking for a pop first thing in the a.m.

1. Crystal Pepsi – This came out when I was in middle school, and I admit, I completely bought into it without ever understanding the point. According to Wikipedia, Crystal Pepsi was a caffeine-free “clear alternative” to normal colas, equating clearness with purity and health. I just thought it was funny that a pop that tasted like Pepsi looked like water.

Honorable Mention: Pepsi A.M. This was marketed to those who like to drink pop in the morning. Side note: I consume at least two Diet Cokes before 9 a.m. each morning. I am the target market. I would not drink this.

2.  Beer Gimmicks – Beer companies put other marketers to shame in the “Gimmick” department:

Ignore the ice running down the bottle, the blue mountains tell you this beer is cold!

• A label that turns blue when cold – I don’t know what to say about this…isn’t it cold when it feels cold?

• The “wide-mouth” can – I always thought this was to help you drink it faster, but after doing some research it is apparently to help ventilation…who knew?

• The “light beer” race – I was someone who looked forward to Michelob Ultra launching. And then the floodgates opened. Budweiser Select 55, Miller Genuine Draft Light 64…does it matter that none of these beers has any taste anymore? Give me a Guinness.

Honorable Mention: Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign. Did the announcer just say, “When he punches you in the face you will have to fight the urge to thank him”? It took me four times watching this commercial to figure out what it was trying to sell. I’m pretty sure I purchased this beer after that fourth viewing.

3. Cocaine Energy Drink – Who thought this was a good idea? We can guess what went on in that brainstorm session.

Honorable Mention: Red Bull “Gives You Wings.” The commercials are a bit offbeat, but I think it works for them, as they are a quirky brand. But more importantly, I love how they have taken this “gimmick” and translated it into the world’s coolest competition – Flugtag. This “homemade, human-powered flying machine” challenge is on my bucket list.

4.  Crayola – Quiz: How many times can a company sell you the exact same product? These are ALL markers in one shape or another.

A marker by any other name is just a marker...right? Not at Crayola.

• Glitter Paper – Sparkle built into each fun-tastic page. Just use clear Color Wonder Markers to create colorful, shimmering masterpieces.

• Color Wonder Light Up Markers – Simply connect the Color Wonder Marker into the light wand and click it. The barrels light up to identify each marker color.

• Color Explosion 3-D – With just one clear marker, create images that leap from the page in cool 3-D effects.

Honorable Mention: 3D everything. My husband claims he can’t see 3D because of some vision dysfunction he “thinks” he has, yet he wants the 3D television. And he calls me a “marketer’s dream.”

Spirit Airlines Online Ad

I am a brand strategist and have been a marketing professional for the past 25 years. I’m not sure of the last time I saw such a display of bad taste in marketing. Today, Spirit launched a campaign touting its “Check out the oil on our beaches” campaign. The campaign shows a series of beaches in locations Spirit flies to. I didn’t think it was possible to outdo BP’s lack of PR and marketing prowess. Really? Are you kidding me, Spirit Airlines?

A little research informed me that Spirit’s CEO loves shock-value marketing. CEO Ben Baldanza says Spirit has cut its marketing and distribution expenses by more than 80% during the past three years “by using edgy viral marketing.” The savings have resulted in very inexpensive fares, he says. Spirit’s advertising “may be more colorful than some,” but it isn’t “out of the norm” when compared with many retailers’ ads, Super Bowl commercials and the content of TV series, Baldanza says. Well, I think it’s time to start spending some money on a brand marketing and PR agency that can knock some sense into this inane approach to marketing.

I have to cry foul. This is, to use your terminology, out of the norm, Mr. Baldanza. It’s shameful. Offensive. And an assault to the people, like me, who are proud of the impact brand marketing has had in building businesses, adding jobs and fueling the economy. Millions of people in the Gulf states are worrying every day and night about where their next dime will come from. The environmental impact of this spill is nauseating. And you, Spirit Airlines, want to make fun of it for the PR value?

Yet here I am, writing about it and giving them the PR visibility they would hope for. Well here’s my PR, Spirit Airlines: I will never fly your airline. I will tell everyone I can about this. And I will use my company’s communication platform to be sure the word gets out.

This campaign does nothing to represent the American Spirit I grew up with and my father fought for in WWII. I’m just one brand marketer, but I’m taking a stand. I encourage anyone reading this to do so as well by writing Spirit and keeping your dollars far away from them, now and forever. Let’s not let this tasteless approach to brand building win, low fares or not.

I was talking to a friend in Atlanta the other day who also happens to own an agency. I said, “Let’s get some friends together and go to the beach on the Florida Gulf Coast, support these folks down there and bring some much-needed money to the region. She jumped at the idea. Oh yes, we’re going. It’s the American thing to do. But you can be sure we won’t be traveling on Spirit Airlines to get there. Or anywhere. Their brand has no value as far as I’m concerned.

1. Respond quickly
2. Address the situation
3. Stay positive

In theory, this advice makes perfect sense. In reality, it doesn’t always work. Take one of our experiences for example.

Round 1: A young, vocal detractor posted a negative review on a client’s Facebook page. I would categorize it as a somewhat merited attack expressed in a very vengeful manner. When the post was discovered, we proceeded with the customary strategy:

1. Responded promptly.
2. Addressed the concern of the detractor, thanked him for bringing it to our attention, and provided some insight into what steps were being taken to resolve the perceived problem.
3. Invited the detractor to contact the company (provided a name and number) to discuss any questions or concerns in person.

Textbook fix, right?

Result: Apparently, this particular book was a “choose your own adventure” volume—and the detractor chose an alternate ending. Within minutes of our client’s posted response, the detractor began a full-scale attack campaign, recruiting friends and family to join forces in harassing the company through Facebook. One negative comment turned into eight, which then turned into a photo album, leading to the grand finale—an “I Hate” Facebook page. Why did this happen, when we’d done everything “right”?

Round 2: We responded, again inviting the detractor to an in-person meeting to discuss concerns. Each direct response actually seemed to motivate the detractor to step up his smear campaign, leading to an increase in negative postings. We obviously needed a new strategy:

1. Against all common advice, we did not post immediate responses to the continued negative comments. The attention only encouraged the detractor.
2. Since each personal response fueled the fire, we addressed the perceived problem globally through status updates and addressed it to the entire Facebook community instead of responding personally to the detractor.
3. We invited everyone in the Facebook community to contact the company if they had any questions or concerns regarding the perceived problem.
4. We began proactively posting status updates about any and all steps or programs in place addressing the perceived issue.

Result: Brand ambassadors began speaking up, complimenting the company and posting positive reviews. The attack campaign fizzled. Since we became more proactive with our posts regarding the perceived problem, it has left little room for negative feedback. We continue to monitor the “I Hate” page, and activity there has significantly decreased.

In Conclusion: I have every confidence that the detractor will come back, but we are prepared. The standard steps for handling negative feedback on social media sites are a good starting point, but that is all they are … a starting point. The response an unhappy consumer may take to those steps is unpredictable. If things take a sharp turn toward the unexpected, you may have to take the time to re-evaluate your steps and pursue an unexplored path—one that is customized to your unique crisis. As we all know, the exceptions make the rules.

As a PR professional, I am an advocate of social media, but as a human being I surely don’t agree that this is the evolution of how we show affection. I would love to know who came up with this statement. I think the idea to include the Tweet Me Sweetheart is clever, and the brand received a huge story in USA Today (also linked on the Huffington Post), as well as coverage in the Boston Herald. Also, I am blogging about it (as are others), Twitter is a partner, and there are tweets rolling in about it. But I would have recommended focusing on the fact that the brand responds to what is happening in the culture. The article also talks about its iPhone app, which sounds interesting and further demonstrates NECCO’s ability to evolve with the current happenings. For what is a smart partnership and a great campaign for building conversation about the brands, I would have expected a smarter statement as to the “why.”

In the end, the brands fit really well together … short and sweet. But I have to admit that personally, when it comes to showing affection, I prefer a call, a note, flowers or a hug.

This is an open letter to people who do not see the benefit of social media in marketing – namely, my husband, who thinks “social media marketing” is just an excuse to cruise around on Facebook while at work and who to this day is the only person I know without an account. First, let’s take a quick look at the history of censuses. They began during the early Pharaonic Period in Egypt and were used to issue land grants and for taxation purposes. The first U.S. census was conducted in 1790; a census is done every 10 years to record the population, which also helps determine the number of United States Representatives each state receives (thank you Wikipedia).

So, the goal is to count EVERY American. In 2000, the census counted more than 281 million people…talk about a daunting task. This year, though, they have social media to help the campaign. Below are reasons why I think this is cool:

1. If this ancient practice can evolve into the social media landscape, any business can.

2. The U.S. Census Bureau’s sole goal is to reach as many people as possible, and it is turning to social media to help accomplish that. Those wary of social media in business, think about it…the census needs to reach everyone. If social media can help with that, it can certainly help reach different target markets and customers.

3A. I can’t remember hearing a word about the census 10 years ago. I was also in college and had recently turned 21, so that may have had something to do with it. Different priorities.

3B. My 22-year-old brother HAS heard of the 2010 census because it’s being talked about on Facebook and in different blogs he reads. That doesn’t guarantee he will participate, but it certainly presents a better opportunity.

4. It’s mind-blowing to think about how social media/online applications will be utilized in the future and even more exciting that we have the opportunity to help shape it. Will the entire census take place through Facebook or iPhone apps? That means my husband probably won’t be counted as a human because he still won’t be on Facebook.

5. It’s interesting to watch how social media continues to infiltrate different aspects of our lives. We no longer have to look for information, it finds us. The census found me, and for the first time, I will be accounted for.

CNBC, CBS Sports, NPR, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal the list goes on and on.

If you haven’t heard (you must be living under a rock), Pepsi will not be advertising in this year’s Super Bowl for the first time in 23 years. Instead the soft drink conglomerate will focus on a new marketing effort that will appear mostly online. I can’t help but think…NOT advertising may be one of the most genius PR stunts in recent history.

Lets guesstimate that Pepsi spent $20 to $30 million in Super Bowl ads last year. I’m sure they were clever, well produced and probably featured super stars like Justin Timberlake. So, let’s tack on another couple million dollars just for celebrity endorsement, creative concepts and production. This year, Pepsi pulls their ads sending shockwaves through the advertising world. Not only are they focusing on an “online” marketing strategy vs. traditional advertising but also saving millions of dollars. On top of that, by simply announcing this decision, they have generated millions of dollars in free publicity for this yet-to-be-created online campaign. Everyone’s interest is peaked…what could be so big that Pepsi isn’t advertising in the Super Bowl. You can bet that I will be on alert for this new marketing campaign.

Looking at the bigger picture, what does this mean for traditional advertising? If Pepsi pulls out of the Super Bowl, will Budweiser soon follow suit? Is Pepsi realizing the power of online is more powerful than the Super Bowl? Is this truly a publicity stunt? Time will tell if this move will pay off for Pepsi but this football fan is much more intrigued by Pepsi’s “Non-Advertising” campaign than any 30-second commercial with Justin Timberlake.

Follow the continual stream of news about Pepsi’s big Super Bowl decision on Bing News: http://ow.ly/No97

1. Transparency is critical –For the first time, the average person has direct contact with a celebrity, personality, influencer, etc. Twitter users have come to demand authenticity and celebrities that are the most successful “Tweeters” (Ashton Kutcher, Pete Wentz) manage their own accounts. While it may not all be positive attention, people appreciate the opportunity to personally connect. People want honesty, not canned statements. Social media is evolving that expectation.
2. Time is of the essence – When Michael Jackson passed away, his death was reported on Twitter, Facebook and blogs far before any traditional media source reported his death. By the time information was posted on a news site or broadcast on air, word had spread like wildfire through the online and social media channels making traditional sources appear irrelevant. Instead of going to CNN’s website for “breaking news” people were following threads on Twitter and visiting entertainment blogs for true up-to-the-minute information. Reaction times are nearly extinct with the birth of social media.
3. Move over A-List – Big names such as Julia Roberts, Cameran Diaz and Brad Pitt all command millions of dollars for a movie role but names such as Heidi Montag, Perez Hilton and Audrina Patridge are just as well known due to social media. “A-Listers” are losing their pull at the box office while online and social media personalities continue to rise. You don’t have to be the biggest or most recognized to be relevant.

For a fun look at how Social Media is changing our lives, check out “Web Site Story”:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1913584

With the onslaught of communication channels people expect “transparency”. While I am not a big fan of this buzzword, I think the idea it conveys is here to stay. Put simply, today’s consumers demand companies and individuals to be open and honest. If a company or celebrity tries to hide from an issue, it will certainly spiral out of control. Please note, that if a situation is legal in nature other rules apply.

Now, take the recent situation with David Letterman. Okay, I definitely do not condone his actions of infidelity, but the way he handled the situation publicly was a good example of how to deal with a crisis situation. It was obviously painful to address his infidelity on air honestly and openly, but it squashed rumors and allowed him to own up to what he had done and whom he hurt. A very humbling experience indeed. In my opinion, the fact his fans heard the confession firsthand will certainly bode well for him.

With nearly two decades in the public relations business, I have always counseled my clients to get in front of a crisis. It is important to communicate YOUR message as the conversation will go on with or without you. This is an approach even more important in a world that includes instant communication tools – such as Twitter and Facebook.

At the end of the day, it is only human to respect and appreciate when people are open and honest. I remain amazed at how many companies are still afraid they will lose control if they say too much. Let’s be honest, in most situations if don’t speak up you will lose even more control!

As the Harvard Business blog says, Letterman’s ability to manage the crisis on his own terms helped him contain the damage.

“T-Mobile’s service for their Sidekicks went down worldwide a week ago and many many many users STILL have not been able to access their contacts. Since then, T-Mobile’s customer service and communication with their customers has SUCKED. It’s pathetic, disgusting and insulting! To add insult to injury, the ONLY thing T-Mobile is offering their customers, whom they obviously don’t value or respect, is one month of free data service.”

From there, the blogger introduced the Twitter topic: #TmobileStillSucks

For the past 20 minutes I have been following the above hash-tag (which could be on its way to becoming a trending topic). Here is a sample of what is currently being said on Twitter:

“SOO glad I canceled t-mobile before this drama!! worst service ever #TmobileStillSucks”

“(Expletive) T-Mobile. I’m so sick of their awful customer service. #TmobileStillSucks”

“I hope #TmobileStillSucks will be a trending topic. LOL”

The last post from @TMobile_USA was on October 6:

“Due to Sidekick data outage, Sidekick cust. will receive a 1 mo credit for data service. See www.t-mobile.com/sidekick”

The e-tailing group inc. conducted a recent survey about social commerce and found that 74% of online shoppers buying decisions are influenced by others’ opinions and product recommendations from friends are twice as influential as product recommendations from merchants. This does not bode well for T-Mobile.

The company clearly did not have an online crisis communications plan prepared prior to the outage situation. While a huge inconvenience for its customers, the situation could have been addressed more strategically by doing the following things:

• Immediately own up to the situation so that the information is coming from you first versus the “Twitterverse” and online world. It shows personal accountability and is the only way to take some sort of control.

• Provide continual updates about what is being done to alleviate the situation. T-Mobile has not posted anything on Twitter since October 6 (three days ago) and the post merely offered users a one month data service credit.

• Is anyone at T-Mobile monitoring what is happening online? Twitter is a great customer service tool if you actually use it. Someone at T-Mobile should be devoting his or her time towards monitoring what is being said online and responding.

• People online are talking about the compensation offered – one month credit for data service – and they feel it does not address the inconvenience and frustration of the problem. This is a great opportunity for T-Mobile to listen to their customers and use that information to re-evaluate their strategy, reach out to bloggers and “Tweeters” and turn the conversations into something more positive.